Indian River seemed to be doing everything right on the softball field as they scored two more for the win column this week, for a season record of 15-3. A 5-1 victory at Polytech last Thursday, May 3, wasn’t enough to satisfy the Indians, and they turned it up on Tuesday while hosting Lake Forest, winning 11-1 in five innings.
Jessica Braun readies herself for a pitch at Tuesday’s game against Lake Forest. Braun’s clutch batting helped carry the Indians to another victory.Third-baseman Lizzy Handy got things started in the third, batting the Indians’ second run in to take the lead. She would go three-for-three on the game, bringing in four more runs, including the 11th run to seal the game. With runners on the corners in the bottom of the fifth, Handy’s double to center field was more than enough for the win.
“I really wanted to just hit the ball and get it in,” she said. “I wasn’t trying to hit it hard.”
Catcher Hayley Brennan also went three-for-three in the game. Second-baseman Abi Buchler knocked in two of her own RBI’s, while Taylor Wharton added one of her own.
Freshman starting pitcher Katelyn Null kept things on track as she threw in eight strikeouts on Thursday’s match. Null also contributed an RBI toward the win. Left-fielder and pitcher Sarah Tyre added two strikeouts in her no-hitter, fifth-inning appearance.
Head coach Mark Browne said he was very pleased with Handy’s performance in Tuesday’s game. “It’s tough to hide her,” he said. “I think the word is out. She really contributes a lot to the team.”
As for the pitching, he added that he couldn’t ask for a better game from Null.
“It’s a nice change of pace to be able to start with a freshman and switch to Sarah [Tyre] if need be,” he said. Starting on the mound may be intimidating, especially for a freshman, but Browne insisted Null is handling her role very well. “I don’t think [Katelyn] has ever been nervous. That’s what I love about her. She has a really good gut-check when she’s out there.”
There’s more than the big names of the game making a difference out there, Browne pointed out, such as a clutch performance from Jessica Braun.
“She’s a three-year player who has worked hard day after day after day,” he said. “She doesn’t always get a chance, and today she came up with a big 0-2 hit with two outs in the fourth inning and really kept things going. It’s rewarding to see a girl like that be a team player for three straight years, maintain a good attitude and come up with the big hit.”
With the bulk of the season behind them, Browne knows where the focus is for the team and wants to be sure that his girls stay sharp.
“I told them before the game that sometimes, I think we almost take winning for granted. I think it’s important that we work to get better. As we prepare for the state tournament, we have to still concentrate on improvement. It can be a hard thing to do when you’re able to keep winning.”
But Browne said he doesn’t mind the hot streak his team is on one bit.
“All it takes is a match-up against a team like Sussex Tech, Sussex Central or Caravel before you realize how far you needed to come,” he said. The Indians hosted Milford on Thursday, May 10, and will turn around to finish their season at Caravel on Monday, May 14.
“The Milford game is a big one,” he said. “We’re sort of playing for seeding. If we get that one, I think it’s a pretty good shot that we’ll be in the top four seeds, and that’s what we’re hoping for.”